Fiction Literature Books

I liked this version of Darcy's side of the story. The author kept Darcy true to his Austen roots.

I really enjoyed this simple version of Mr Darcy telling the story himself. The author didn't create a storyline outside of the original, which I appreciated. I enjoyed reading Mr Darcy's own account of his feelings and emotions during his revelation of a world outside his own immediate circle. This is a very believable account of Darcy's struggle to overcome his prejudice and eventually win Elizabeth's love. I totally enjoyed it.

I liked the way it starts out, and stays in Darcy's point of view and perspective. Very good imagry as you could see youself there with him.
His interactions and view of Elizabeth Bennet exactly as F. Darcy would view her as well.

If you have enough stress in your life, escape for a while into the world of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. This story stays true to the original yet gives the reader more insight into the characters and the era. Good clean fun and a very nice read.

I cannot usually bear to read expansions, continuations, revisions, or prequels of Jane Austen -- I tend to hurl them down before I reach page three. They all fail miserably to sound like Austen, and I'm appalled at the hubris the authors exhibit in attempting it.

But this book sneaked around my prejudice by being -not- in the voice of Austen, but in the voice of Darcy, and I enjoyed it very much. It was funny; it followed the original, but from a different point of view; it sounded like Darcy to me -- young, proud, passionate, uncertain, and a little humor-challenged.

Street even came up with a reason for Darcy to have attended that first ball, though he doesn't enjoy it or expect to: he knows that if he stays home, Caroline Bingley will find an excuse to stay home too!

Get it. Read it. Enjoy it.

The Irish elk died out a few millenia ago. Its antlers spanned three meters making it impossible for an Irish Elk to enter a forest to eat or escape a predator. Unfortunately, big antlers were a real turn on for female Irish elks so that sexual selection favoured males with larger antlers, which then grew and grew generation after generation until they became such a burden they drove the Irish elk to extinction.

Kurt Vonnegut's tongue-in-cheek premise is that, from evolution's point of view, our big brains are as useless and dangerous to the human race as antlers were to the Irish elk.

Our big brains help us attract mates and earn a living but they are a expensive drain on our resources: a third of the oxygen we breathe and of the calories we burn are used by the grey matter within our skull. Further, big brains make us do really stupid things (again from the point of view of the human race) like inventing nuclear bombs and other ways of killing ourselves off. One million years from now, in the novel, the members of human race have smaller brains and according to Vonnegut are all the happier for it.

The premise and development are interesting and Vonnegut really gets what evolution is all about and he understands how random contingency has a deep effect on history.

I can't quite agree with Vonnegut's conclusion that we would be better off without our big brains. It's not that he missed something in his analysis of the disadvantages of big brains, but rather without these brains we wouldn't be humans. Our fictional descendants a million years from now may be "happier" than we are, but they aren't human anymore, so who cares?

A fascinating read and an excellent illustration of how contingency and randomness shape history.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

This was the first Vonnegut book I've ever read.

The story is told from a very strangle angle, which sort of releases bits of plot information in passing, slowly, like pieces of a puzzle until the whole picture comes into focus. I must admit, for the first 150 pages or so, I couldn't stand this style. It just seemed very unnatural and awkward.

However, Vonnegut's biting social commentary and obvious metaphors were like nuggets of gold sprinkled throughout.

When the story was complete, I was impressed by his ability to construct it in such a complex manner. The ending left a bit to be desired and seemed disorganized.

3/5, but I will certainly read more Vonnegut books from this point forward.

it's very well written, and pretty interesting
but it is an odd plot
i liked it, but i wouldn't read it twice

It was a challenge to stay interested. the first two thirds of the book were all over the place. one chapter he would build on characters/plot and the next he would talk about something completely irrelevant to the story. i've read many of his other books and they all were amazing. this one didn't feel like a story to me.

When reading Vonnegut, I find myself rethinking subjects I pass over in day-to-day life without a second thought. It makes me feel enlightened, like I have some unique perspective on the world. In reality, the only credit I deserve is for my choice of reading material. Vonnegut so effectively carries his reader to a different point from which to view the world that you barely notice that you didn't get there yourself. What could be a greater testament to an author than that?

All of Vonnegut's novels accomplish the same feat, but this one does it more, or better. As this book wound down, I became sad - not because I didn't want the story to end, but because I didn't want the feeling of seeing the world from a unique place to end. Fortunately, once you put the book down, a lot of that new perspective stays with you.

This is a great book for anyone who wants to see the world in ways they haven't before. Very highly recommended.

The Pokemon Sinnoh Handbook was released to give information about the Pokemon that are part of Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl. The first page of the book explains why the book was written. The second page explains what the reader will find on the page for each Pokemon (the Pokemon's name, what species it is, a pronunciation guide for the Pokemon's name, its possible moves, what Pokemon type it is, its height and weight, its evolution chain, and interesting facts about the Pokemon. Five Pokemon (Abra, Blissey, Cleffa, Golduck, and Seaking) also have a special "Remember When..." box included in their entries for trivia from the TV series. There is also an introduction to the Sinnoh region, which explains how a trainer starts out in the region.

After all of the pages about the Pokemon, there is an appendix titled, "Ash & Friends," which gives brief biographies for Ash, Brock, and Dawn; included on each trainer's page are pictures of which Pokemon they have. At the very back of the book is a fold-out poster with all the Pokemon featured in the book.

I did find a couple of errors in the book. Blissey's height is included, but the weight was left off. Also, Cherubi's Solarbeam attack is listed twice under its possible moves.

From the design of the book, as well as the way the book is written, it's obvious that children are the target audience. However, there is valuable information included, so adults shouldn't shy away from purchasing the Pokemon Sinnoh Handbook.

My 8 year old loves this book. It has all his favorite characters, the pictures are big and detailed so he enjoys drawing them on paper as well. A+

My 7 y.o. daughter caught the Pokemon craze from her 15 y.o. brother who has loved those pocket monsters since he was very little. This book was read cover to cover within the first day and it is taken along on doctor visits & car trips to pass the time - great selection!

Meant as a Christmas gift, this book was intercepted by my two boys, who absolutely loved the artwork and creature descriptions.

Well worthwhile for any Pokemon fan.

I ordered this book for my 6-year-old son who is really into Pokemon at the moment. He absolutely loves this book.

The book features many of the most popular Pokemon, gives a brief summary of their abilities and even states their height, weight and possible moves.

What's best about this book for me as a mother is that my son, a first-grader, practices his reading without me asking him too, because he is so fascinated by all the informative stats about all his favorite Pokemon. And the book does actually use some big words that he would not encounter in the typical first-grader reading books.

I can recommend this book to any Pokemon fan or parent thereof!

These series are terrific, I have bought several of this series, and they have a great message and are fun to read.

Anger that leads to aggressive behavior is one of the number one reasons that parents of young children seek counseling. Parents often feel at a loss as to how to teach their children skills for anger management, and kids don't know that there are choices about how to express this emotion without aggression. An excerpt from the note to parents in the beginning of the book states, "What a gift we offer children when we show them that we can channel the energy of anger to make constructive changes and get positive results. We can teach them the benefit of talking it out, rather than slugging it out; the value of creative, assertive confrontation; the helpfulness of physical outlets for frustration; the value of letting go and forgiving." This book does an excellent job of communicating to young people the positive and peaceful ways of handling anger. The beautiful and expressive illustrations are an added bonus. As a practicing Child and Family Therapist, I have often used this book for pre-readers, who I have tell the story to me based just on what the illustrations show. This has led to some wonderful discussions about solving anger problems, as the children relate to what the characters are experiencing.

Mad Isn't Bad says children have choices-just as caring adults have choices about what to teach children about anger. Through understanding what anger feels like and what triggers it, we can learn and teach healthy ways to handle it. Mad Isn't Bad is a book every parent, teacher, and caring adult will appreciate. It offers children a positive and honest view of anger and what to do with it.

I have a wonderful girl who has been having trouble expressing her feelings. I got Mad isn't Bad hoping it would start some discussions for us, and it did. The elf-help series seems to be just what our family needs as a discussion starter so we can work together to solve problems. In reference to a different review, I think the being mad at God page could be taped together or merely skipped, but for our family, it was appropriate, since that's something she has asked me about.

We were hoping the book would provide more ideas about how a child can appropriately express and deal with their anger or being mad. The book excessively addresses what can cause someone to get mad, but not enough solutions for our needs. The artwork was a bit too "busy" but could definitely spark some conversation. However, the content is geared to the age range listed in the description. Most of the solutions are suited to a child that is mature enough to stop themselves to talk it out. Again, the book is probably much more helpful to a child 6-8 years old.

This is a wonderful book to use in the classroom. When teaching diversity or having group discussions or just helping students accept other students who may have behavioral issues due to personal problems, Mad Isn't Bad can be used in sections or units. I wouldn't recommend reading it all at once rather using it as a tool to teach about anger and how to deal with anger. It is surprising how children exposed to such discussions can help improve classroom dynamics!

What's amazing is that the stories and poems that are 100, 200, even 400 years old are as emotionally engaging and/or creepy as ones written today. Although this is not a collection of horror, it's got some teeth. Reading the whole thing through gives you a sense of what Halloween was to generations before us, and you end up understanding what a deep cultural place it holds. The book starts Celtic (including a poem about a complaining corpse that won't die), goes through some pre-Victorian and Victorian (including an elegant vampire story) pieces, some funny, some unsettling, through the famous 19th and early 20th century authors (Lovecraft, Poe, Wharton, Yeats, Joyce) and ends with a section called "Hallowoddities," which includes items like "how to prepare a corpse for burial" (don't pin the feet together) or "Five Ladies Lost in Swamp Looking for Halloween Greenery," (they all lived) from an old New York Times. The author even includes witch trial testimony and a bit from a colonial-era play that mentions Halloween for those interested in the historical side. The introduction puts all the literature in context. This is a real find for the Halloween lover.

Lesley Pratt Bannatyne has provided Halloween enthusiasts, folklorists, educators, concerned parents, and the general reader a great service with A Halloween Reader (2004), a vintage compilation of aesthetically agreeable poems, short stories, and play fragments about Samhain, Halloween, All Saint's Day, and All Soul's Day.

Though a specter with vampiric tendencies does appear in one story (1883's "Ken's Mystery" by Julian Hawthorne) and a women is frightened to death in another, the emphasis throughout is on the aesthetic tone of each selection, something generally lost in Halloween stories of the present day, which are either unthreatening, unimaginative pabulum for children free of all historical association or revolting, gore - strewn horror stories composed for adult audiences. As the author states in her introduction, "This is not a horror anthology, though horror may be found here." Throughout, the writing, by both well - known and obscure authors, is excellent, and authenticity, mystery, a foreboding atmosphere, imagination, and a sense of wonder are the volume's touchstones; strict morbidity is kept at a minimum.

An "earthly knight" becomes a prisoner of fairyland in the traditional ballad "Tam Lin," a man finds himself traveling through a "ghoul - haunted woodland" to his beloved's tomb in Poe's hallucinated "Ulalume" (1847), witches and devils invade a country cottage in Patrick Kennedy's "Black Stairs On Fire" (1866), beautiful and ugly examples of "the good people" kidnap a straying youth in Le Fanu's eerie "The Child That Went With the Fairies" (1870), an elfin being tricks the title character into a game of cards in Yeats's "Red Hanrahan" (1904), a dead man, who is nonetheless "dying of thirst," seeks assistance in James Stephen's "The Feast of Samhain" (1924), and frustrated lovers fall victim to an evil magician in the anonymously written "The Fiend's Field: A Legend of the Wrekin" (1832). In Caroline Ticknor's humorous "A Hallowe'en Party" (1896), an anxious New Yorker recalls a calamitous evening at a riotous suburban soiree. Though nothing by Washington Irving is included, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," "Rip Van Winkle" (both 1820), and "The Devil and Tom Walker" (1824), autumnal pieces all, would have been worthy inclusions, as would Nathaniel Hawthorne's light - hearted "Feathertop: A Moralized Legend" (1846), with its clever, crone - like witch and sentient scarecrow.

The volume also features a short seasonal miscellany, including an account of the Scottish practice of "Cabbage Thumping" (1835), "The Method of Making a Magic Staff" (1985), which is drawn from a medieval Latin manuscript, "On Preparing A Corpse in Ireland" (1895), an oral report of man's experience with the will - o' - the -wisp in "Jack O Lantern Lights" (1938), and a 1907 New York Times article concerning five women who spent 36 hours lost in a swamp after becoming lost on their way to a Halloween party.

Though man's mortality, a belief in an afterlife, and the cycle of nature are genuine aspects of Samhain and Halloween in a wide variety of ways, true Halloween has nothing to do with devil worship, zombies, serial killers, murder, torture, dismemberment, poisoning, cannibalism, car accidents, or any of the other grim, visceral elements presently exploited by the media in the holiday's name. A Halloween Reader returns the focus of October 31st to the liminal and the otherworldly without sacrificing its hypnotic, twilit fascination.

This was such a pleasant surprise, actually better than I'd expected. I have many books in my Halloween collection describing Halloween's origins and the way in which we Americans appropriated this holiday from the British Isles and its evolution through the Victorian-era's fall-themed sort of Valentine's Day. But until recently, I've had few accounts actually drawn from the time period. Most are contemporary pieces looking back upon that bygone era.

But this compendium includes stories and other literary works drawn from the era itself. Some are chilling, some are murky, and some are comedic. I particularly liked 1896's "Hallowe'en Party," by Caroline Ticknor, amusing! How often does one run across plays (parlor dramas as they are described) written specifically for Halloween? ("By Cupid's Trick,"Griffith Wilde, 1885) There are even newspaper excerpts describing events that took place on Halloween. (November 2, 1900, 'New York Times')

Overall the book was a treasure to read, and unique in my collection. I encourage all Halloween enthusiasts to add this to their library for a wonderful, historical snapshot of one of the most enjoyable holidays on the calendar.

Facts: Each book is approximately a tad smaller than 4" x 6", each of varying thickness. All have gold leaf (edging). The pages are thin. The font is small but clear. The books are fiber hardcover, and have a matte paper dust jacket. Each has a dark red satin ribbon bookmark. There are a few 19th-century style illustrations in each volume.

My opinion: I absolutely love this set. The publisher was "Collector's Library" under the Barnes & Noble umbrella, and they made several classics with the same book binding style. There is a more contemporary feel to the books than the classic Oxford Illustrated volumes (which are also fabulous) because they don't contain anything fancy.

This is the sort of set that you would treat well and wouldn't mind reading repeatedly, but for which you might hesitate to loan to someone else because it's so nice. It's not a throwaway paperback. If you want explanations, extras, and heirloom quality, go see the Oxford set. If you want something simple, sturdy, small and cute, go with this one.

I decided to buy a collection for my daughter birthday, and this one is exactly what I've thought. Small, fancy, stylish,....
Even it came from UK. It arrived just in time..... It took less than amazon estimated...
Very good...

I ordered this set from an Amazon vendor in the UK Brown-Books-UK. Despite being in England they only took ten days to arrive in well-packed perfect condition. This set really is exquisite, the books are smaller in size (like books were in Jane Austen's day) than today's format. The box and each book are covered in fabric, the paper quality and print are excellent with gold edges, plus each book has an attached ribbon book mark. One couldn't ask for a more pleasing set. The stories, of course, speak for themselves to which any Jane Austen fan could attest. I would highly recommend this set to anybody wishing to purchase a Jane Austen set for either themselves or as a gift.

The order went thru to an Amazon bookselling company in England. Couldn't be more pleased with their efforts. It took a while for the books to arrived, and I inquired too early as to a shipment date. They arrived the next day, by air mail. Good people, good books - a graduation present for my granddaughter.

This set is just what I wanted! It's a bit smaller than I imagined, but it's beautiful. Each book is light, and although I haven't started reading them yet, I can tell they'll be very easy to read as they are easy to keep open. I can't wait to start reading them!

Every page is packed with facts, information, and awesomeness, a great read and reference guide.

The best way to sum it up:
X-files + Ripley's + Tales from the Crypt = ENCYCLOPEDIA HORRIFICA

I read a five-star review of the book somewhere and I couldn't understand what the fuss was about. But then I bought it as a gift for my nephew, and I liked it so much that I had to buy another copy for him! It PULLS you in like a hand from the grave......

The author ("Investigator Gee") has maybe achieved the impossible by creating a book that appeals to readers of all ages, but in different ways. There are plenty of facts and pictures for early Ripley's/Goosebumps readers like my nephew who love all things gross, but the look and feel and humor of the book are a lot like a My Chemical Romance video or a Tim Burton movie.

There are also a million "blink and youll miss it" references to grown-up stuff like Stephen King and Neil Gaiman plus "unexplained" science, etc.

And YES it even has a holographic cover!!!
:-)

Joshua Gee's ENCYCLOPEDIA HORRIFICA: THE TERRIFYING TRUTH ABOUT VAMPIRES, GHOSTS, MONSTERS AND MORE packs in evidence, special explorations, interviews and eyewitness accounts to probe the facts behind the fictional representations of mermaids, ghosts, aliens, Dracula and more. Eye-capturing color illustrations accompany `strange case' biographies and historical facts, making this much more than your usual Halloween-oriented fright title - and suitable for any collection seeking to inspire recreational nonfiction reading in kids.

The cover of this great book will attract you to pick it up, the content inside will make you buy it. The cover which is actually referred to inside the book so obviously must be on all published editions has a fanged skull with a spider in its eye socket in the traditional skull mouth closed pose. When you open the cover to begin reading the skull opens it mouth terrifying the spider which flees its shelter. Gimmick covers often mean average content with the gimmicky cover needed to sell the average work, not so with Encyclopedia Horrifica where the content is also very good.

Inside the reader will learn the differences between many a Hollywood or fiction novel version of a creature, myth or tale and the original historic creation. Topics covered include vampires, zombies, ghosts, aliens, sea monsters, witches and psychics. The information is laid out in an entertaining and easy to read format complete with colour photos on every page. There are also quizzes and other interactive features of the book to further grip the reader.

A very good book. If you want other good entertaining and educational books covering these topics also check out Creepy Stuff, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Encyclopedia of the Bizarre (Ripley's Believe It or Not!) and the brilliant Informania: Vampires or Spine-Tingling Tales (Info Adventure).

In spite of the `horrifica' in the title, this author's tongue was tucked firmly into his own cheek during the compilation of this witty encyclopedia. Joshua Gee never comes right out and says, for example, that vampires really exist. Instead he leads his reader on with teasers such as, "If we could ask Stoker himself whether or not he believed in vampires and werewolves, what might he say? Well, hopefully nothing. After all, he's been dead since 1912!"

Mindful of the age of its intended readers, this encyclopedia doesn't go into too much shocking detail. For instance, it never does state what Vlad Dracula a.k.a. Vlad the Impaler did with all of those six-foot wooden stakes. Mr. Gee just drops a big hint: "It [impalement] is best described in a foreign language that the reader does not understand..."

Nevertheless, there are lots of interesting bits of folklore and science to entertain your young Buffys and Van Helsings. For instance, did you know that vampire slayers had to ride a horse "...as black as the blackest ocean" or that vampire bat spit contains a substance called `draculin' that prevents its victim's blood from clotting?

Although this is a standard, hard-bound book with multiple pictures (in gory color) per page, there are lots of interactive features to engage the computer-savvy reader, such as a quiz on the `real' versus movie Dracula: "Who would win in a furious fight to the (un)death? YOU decide."

I'll go with the real Dracula whose "victims accumulated on his front lawn like `a mighty forest'!"

"Encyclopedia Horrifica" has something for everyone who is interested in the supernatural, from aliens to zombies. It's not really arranged in an encyclopedic format, i.e. A to Z, but there is an index if you need to look up, say, "The Call of Cthulhu" or `fugu sashimi.'

This review wouldn't be complete without mention of the many wonderful pictures that adorn this book, from the holographic spider that crawls in and out of a skull's eye socket on the front cover, to the scariest photo of all: an eyelash mite in its natural habitat on your skin, magnified 240 times to look like a wormy alligator. Ugh!

This is an excellent book that describes the realities of South America through the window of fiction and legend. It is a page-turner, and the kind of book that one wishes could have more and more pages...

As many reviewers have noted, it is not an easy ready but well worth the time and certainly the effort.
There is love, intrigue, war, life, death, laughter and tears. All told in the classic Latin American Literature style. What more can a reader ask for?
Pick it up, read it and dream about the characters for days.

I bought this book in a second-hand bookstore and read it a whole long summer day from morning to late night... what a ride. the book is written with great style and rich detail and is funny, extremely inspired. i didn't find it hard to read, even though the family tree of the Buendias became really too complex to bear in mind as a whole... the effortless colorful style and its great span of storytelling that includes a long line of characters all connected by some mysterious bond, repeating a cycle, learning to bear some form of their own solitude - i think it is a great book that brilliantly mirrors not just a few people but the whole changing of generations. it is refreshing to think of ourselves in terms of long lines of families that come and go, have their own ways and ups and downs. a great book with excellent style that really stands out.

Most likely the greatest epic I have ever read. The story grips you, pulls you in, and commands 100% of your concentration. Marquez deserves two Nobel Prizes for this tale.

After reading the reviews for this book, I was excited to read it. I am a huge fan of magical realism, but this novel...I just don't get it. I have about 100 pages left, and this may be one of the first books I do not finish reading. It just seems to go on and on and on...with nothing exciting or engaging. I feel like I am missing something about this book after reading the overwhelming majority of GREAT and moving reviews, but it just isn't my cup of tea.

This book is a must read for children to get a proper perspective of history. Public school textbooks will not reflect our Christian roots. Parents should read the regular version. My 9 year old granddaughter says this is her favorite book.

Great and educational book. My son loved it and he does not care to read. This is a must for all out there.

This is a good book for Christian homeschooling moms. I bought it for my daughter, who is homeschooling her children.

Like the adult book of the same title, The Light and the Glory for Children examines evidence for America's Christian roots. The authors reveal a past that is not at all smooth. The challenges of settling this land and building a new nation are shown in their harsh reality. Equally, the faith that strengthened the people for these challenges is presented as inspiration for tomorrow's citizens and leaders. Review questions in the back of the book helped my children explore their own values and beliefs about their country. There could be no better way to raise responsible citizens than to have them investigate our Christian heritage through this book.

This book, which by all means should be read before "The Letter of Marque" is a wonderful, if sad installment in the series. In the midst of the unfortunate treatment of Aubrey however, is a real powerful moment towards the end of the novel. Again, a real testament to the themes of honor and friendship that abound in this series.

This is the 11th novel in the Aubrey-Maturin seagoing series. This book is all about honor and reputation, how easy they are to lose, and how hard they are to get back. The story takes place mostly on land and finds Captain Jack Aubrey an easy mark for some stock swindlers who lure him into a confidence game, with terrible consequences. Doctor Stephen Maturin finds that he has been dumped by his flighty wife, who ran off with a Swedish officer. The book ends with the men in an unaccustomed circumstance, with Aubrey reliant on Maturin to salvage his own future.

It was nice to see the series back in good form after the silliness of "The Far Side of the World." However, some of the on-going international intrigue that spans several books has gotten so complicated that I can't remember what it was about, and I find myself not caring, either.

Reviewer: Liz Clare, co-author of the historical novel "To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark"

The twelve books that precede The Reverse of the Medal in the Aubrey-Maturin series together form a coherent, engaging chronicle of naval warfare, intrigue, and romance. Had its thirteenth installment been simply more of the same, the appeal might have begun to pale; however, with a single plot twist, Patrick O'Brian changes the rules of the game completely, handing Aubrey and Maturin a whole new set of challenges.(Note: plot spoilers follow).

Captain Jack Aubrey, ashore and in funds for a change, is induced to invest in the stock market on rumors of peace. When the rumors turn out to be a hoax, Aubrey is falsely accused and convicted of stock fraud and dismissed from the Navy. With his fortunes in ruins and reinstatement to his rank a dim prospect, his only choice is to take up privateering in the newly-decommissioned Surprise.

What sets this book apart from its predecessors is the extent to which we see Aubrey struggling honorably with devious opponents and murky matters quite at odds with his seamanlike competencies, and dealing with the loss of his Naval identity, so much a part of his being. In so doing, it contains some of O'Brian's finest writing - the scene of Aubrey's punishment in the pillory, cheered and protected by a city square full of seamen, is one of his most bitterly triumphant and touching.

The Reverse of the Medal is not the place to start reading this saga. However, the changes that it rings on the previous books' formula ensure a fresh tone and a new perspective that will invigorate even the most jaded veteran of stern-chases and luffing-matches.

Just one of an awesome series focusing on "Lucky" Jack Aubrey and his friend, Dr. Steven Maturin (sp?). Series is a robust and rich historical men-at-sea and -at-war yarn that covers many years in the late 1700 to early 1800s. Ah-HA! (inside joke). Simon Vance's voice is excellent and each character is distinct.

This series is an absolute treasure, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I do, however, caution you on a couple of things. O'Brian is difficult to read. Well, that's not quite fair, it's not difficult, it's slow to read. Paragraphs can go on for a page and a half or longer, and that makes it difficult to digest all that happened.

Whatever you do, don't give in to the temptation to skip sections because they seem like long descriptions. If you take the time to read them, they seem to always offer some gems of wit and a sly turn of phrase; plus, O'Brian can resolve an entire dilemma or introduce a battle and the aftermath in a couple of sentences.

Looked at from a certain point of view, it actually enhances the story because you have to think about what you just read.

Read them all and read them in order. I can't speak to the rest of the series, but up until now it is superb.